sustaining community madrasa project · sustaining community madrasah project e ise n h o w e r y o...

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Sustaining Community Madrasah Project Eisenhower Youth Leadership Network – Philippines

Eisenhower Fellowships

Sustaining Community Madrasa Project Community Project

Eisenhower Fellowships Youth Leader – Philippines

MOS-AB M. HADJI NASSER

I. Overview of the Project

Sustaining Community Madrasa Project is an initiative of Al-

Muhtasibeen Batch 2009, a group of young professionals from Ibn Siena

Integrated School Foundation Alumni Relations, in cooperation with the

Bureau of Madaris Education under the Department of Education in ARMM

and the alumni youth leaders from Bangsamoro Young Leaders Program –

Leadership Communities, a year-long leadership program of the Office of the

Regional Governor – ARMM, Ayala Foundation and Eisenhower Fellows

Association of the Philippines.

The project is designed to empower community Madrasahs (Islamic

Schools) and promote awareness on their greatest role and significance in

good values-formation to counter the ideology of violent extremism amongst

youth in the Muslim Society in Southern Philippines.

II. Introduction and Background of how the Project was formulated

To give a short introduction on how the project was initiated, this is how

it was. On May 23, 2017, a firefight broke out between Philippine Government

and armed non-state actors in Marawi City, a city of 200,000 in the

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in Southern Philippines. The firefight

quickly spread throughout the city, with militants taking over large areas

including business establishments, religious structures and government

buildings. Later that evening, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte announced that

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he was placing the entire island of Mindanao under martial law and

suspending the writ of habeas corpus.

The conflict lasted for five months, and resulted in the mass

displacement of civilians, the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructures

and the loss of civilian lives. Indeed, against the extremists group, the

Philippine Government wins the battle but never the war.

The armed non-state actors, the militants were comprised of members

of five or six different insurgent groups. Several of which had recently sworn

allegiance to and reportedly received support from the armed group calling

itself Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East.

These militant groups were composed majority of young people aged

18 to 35 years. Reports even proved that there were also younger than the

mentioned age. These groups are also composed of young professionals who

have finished higher educational attainments in Western education with less

understanding on the true and genuine teachings of Islam, thereby, making

these people vulnerable to foreign and radical ideology.

The estimated number of militants varied widely, with reports ranging

from fewer than one hundred to more than one thousand. The battle was the

most significant foray into Southeast Asia by Islamic State-linked groups.

Twenty two battalions of the Philippine Army, Air force and Navy were

reportedly involved in the fighting which has been described as the Philippine

military’s longest and bloodiest battle since World War II.

Within a month, the conflict displaced 360,000 people, including all the

city’s residents along with many neighboring municipalities. The majority of

these internally displaced persons have taken shelter with family and friends;

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some have sought refuge at evacuations centers in the nearby provinces in

Mindanao.

Access of the people to basic needs became so limited, and

conditions became worst. Humanitarian workers and relief operations had a

difficulty in providing assistance to about hundred thousands of people

trapped on the other areas affected by the conflict.

After five long months of bloody war, the Government announced that

Marawi City; our city had been liberated. Week after that, government then

declared an end to fighting.

There are several studies, analysis and researches conducted by

different civil society organizations, NGO’s, group of researchers, private and

government agencies on what were the factors and reasons why this man-

made calamity have not been prevented nor stopped at the earliest stage.

What were the strings of conflict and immediate grievances of the people

that had not been resolved and addressed that came out to be the cause of

the causes. What were those simple yet crucial factors that if given attention,

might hinder great calamities like what our place had suffer.

Our group is one of the several organizations who conducted studies

and researches and wish to contribute greatly to prevent violent extremism

and bring back lasting peace in our place. And one great solution that we

had come up to is by bringing out the genuine teachings of Islam in a Muslim

Society by way of Sustaining Community Madrasahs (Islamic Schools) and

promoting awareness on their role and significance in good-values formation

to counter violent and radical ideologies among the people in our society.

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III. Rationale of the Project

Community Madrasa is one of the main reasons for the preservation of

the moral and spiritual aspects of the Muslim youth. It has always been a

mean by which they are educated of their important and transformative role

in the society. This institution contributes, without a doubt, a great deal in their

values and principle formation. Through it, the Ulama (scholars) of our people

and other righteous individuals have been molded. They in turn become the

most influential shapers of the society’s collective consciousness. Through

them, the society is guided to a productive and constructive path. This is the

reason why Madrasas cannot be ignored as the primal institution that can

effectively combat radicalism and violent extremism. An ample amount of

attention to their development will be the Muslim society’s greatest

machinery for better change. But it is now very sad realities that these

institutions are being relegated into shabby, haphazardly made buildings,

with little or no support from the community they serve. At this point, many of

them have already been closed, especially with the stalling of most of the

communal activities due to the Marawi Siege. Some are struggling to survive

with the help of the few people who understand the situation. Though, some

have already been converted to the Madaris system under the subsidy of the

government.

These conditions and situations can most likely be observed in the rural

areas of our province, where most people are struggling for their living.

Madrasa’s cannot expect much contribution from them for their financial

needs. The government, on the other hand, doesn’t have an enough

attention on them, unlike the other learning institutions who are receiving

financial aid from it.

With the recent incident in Marawi City, the case of the Madrasa’s

(Islamic Schools) has been further worsened. Some people, even our

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politicians, associates this extremism with some selected Madrasa’s. But the

truth is that the Madrasa together with the Masajid (Mosques) is the first

institution to combat extremism with the true teachings of Islam. The early

mentioned situations and conditions of the Madrasa’s were made by the

extremists an opportunity to influence a few number of them. As responsible

citizens and Muslims, it is then our duty to sustain and alleviate the status of

the Madrasa’s, and to give no room for the extremists in influencing them.

IV. Programs and Activities

To empower and sustain community Madrasah in our region, below are

some of the activities and initiatives we had conducted.

1. Providing one month to three month bonus honorarium to the teachers on

the beginning of the school year, on the middle of the year, and on the end

of the year.

2. Providing school supplies to the teachers such as class records, record

books, ball pens, etc.

3. Presenting some school supplies such as notebooks, quiz pads, pencils, ball

pens, erasers, and even bag packs, to the morits (students) at the first day of

classes of the madrasa.

4. Providing the madrasa with the needed equipment, tools, or paraphernalia

that will aid in the learning of the students and in the sustenance and

maintenance of the madrasa, such as chalks, erasers, chairs, tables, paints,

trashcans, brooms, and even repairs on doors and windows.

5. Organizing a half-day interactive program with the morits (students) of the

madrasa on emphasizing their role in the society and in combatting with the

widespread extremism ideas.

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6. Organizing an interactive consultative meeting with the management and

ustadz’s (Teachers) of the madrasa (School), the local leaders of the

community where the madrasa (school) is located, the parents of the morits

(students), and the nearby local masjid (mosque) – a meeting on sustaining

the community madrasa, on emphasizing the role of madrasa in good

values-formation to combat radicalism among youth, and on recent issues

concerning madrasa.

7. Presenting gifts and cash incentives to the honor students at the end of the

academic year.

8. Evaluation and filing of copies of lesson plans of the ustads (teachers) at

the end of the academic year.

9. Inviting an education expert lecturer to the madrasa for upgrading and

enhancing the teaching methods of the ustads (teachers) in sustaining the

madrasa system. Part of which is providing basic knowledge on the modern

technology and the modern world.

10. Inviting experts for lectures on farming and marketing basic principles and

strategies for the livelihood enhancement of the community members for

them to support the sustainability of the madrasa on the long run.

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V. Documentations

On the photo are the working committee members buying schools supplies

to be distributed to target Madrasah/Islamic Schools.

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Below are photos taken during our preparation and packaging of school

supplies.

The school supplies were donated by few individuals who are with us in our

advocacy on preventing violent extremism. Some came from our own

pockets.

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Following photos were taken during our courtesy visit to the community

leaders and the target madrasas (schools).

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Here we took about (6) six hours hiking to reach out Madrasas in remote

areas. From plains to mountains; passing by hanging bridges and rivers.

Some of these Madrasahs (schools) in remote areas were most likely to be

targeted by the extremist groups.

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In the picture, we can see how madrasahs (Islamic schools) are having lack

of attention and support from any other agencies especially the government.

These situations were taken by the extremists as opportunity to encourage

and recruit the students to fight against the government and become

extreme.

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The following photos then was taken during our first visit and distribution of

school supplies to our target Madrsahs (schools)

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These photos were taken during our consultative meeting with the local

leaders in the community where some of the targeted Madrasas are located.

The activity was conducted to serve as orientation for our project as well as

informing the community leaders on their significant role in sustaining the

Madrasas that they have.

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These are the morits (pupils/students) in the madrasas lining up after the

distribution of their school supplies.

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The following photos were taken from different target Madrasa (schools) after

providing them their basic needs in school and most importantly making

them aware of their role and significance in building a peaceful community

and keeping them away from foreign and radical ideologies.

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This photo was taken during our talk with one of the community leaders

explaining to her how we could work together in sustaining the project by

defining their roles as the leaders of the community where some of our

targets Madrasahs are situated.

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Finally, this photo was taken during the making of our documentary

interviews with the morits (pupils/students) of different target madrasahs. This

was after our one year engagement with our selected madrasahs. The

purpose was to document the overall impact of the project by sharing their

stories and experiences after the project with them, how their perceptions

towards radical ideologies have changed and how could they counter the

said ideology and now recognizing their significant role in countering violent

extremism in their respective communities. And yes! We made it. 15

Madrasahs became our beneficiaries for the academic year 2017 to 2018.

Today, these selected madrasahs can continue and even develop the

project better by the help of the community leaders and people living within

that community.

Prepared by:

MOS-AB M. HADJI NASSER

Eisenhower Youth Leader

Philippines

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